


that paved the path for me

by mayachain



Series: birthday!verse [47]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Birthday, Childhood Friends, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Hogwarts Seventh Year, M/M, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Canon, Pre-Hogwarts, Sleepy Cuddles, Slytherins, asymmetrical friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 12:17:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14852604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayachain/pseuds/mayachain
Summary: Whenever post-war Slytherins had legal issues, they went to Draco Malfoy.(Three times Draco cast himself as a pseudo-lawyer on his birthday, or: June 5th, 1988, 1998, 2008.)





	that paved the path for me

**Author's Note:**

> My brain did a weird thing - this has been ready since May 6th. No frantic editing this time around! As ever, the timeline is [here](http://mayachain.dreamwidth.org/59604.html).

**June 5th, 1988**

Draco stared as the door closed behind Mrs. Bulstrode. Millicent wasn’t here. Again.

He wanted to scream, but aside from the minor twitch in his left cheek he was unable to prevent, his expression did not betray a single shred of hatred as he greeted the woman… Or so Draco believed, until he turned and met Gregory’s eyes. His obvious failure made him even more furious.

‘It’s because he knows me,’ he thought. It was unsettling that the other boy could see through him like that, but Mrs. Bulstrode surely hadn’t. He made himself give Greg a tight smile and lead the way into the ball room. 

The insult could not stand. The conviction only grew stronger as the party went on. Millicent’s parents would have to learn that they should not have crossed the Malfoy heir. Draco would… he would… he _would_ – 

He would find a way to help Millicent gain access to her grandmother’s estate and invalidate their parents’ vaunted claims. 

 

**June 5th, 1998**

'Contingencies,' Draco thought, staring at the familiar shelves of the manor’s library a little hysterically. 'Contingencies'. There would be a pardon, Potter had promised. A pardon for all three of them in exchange for the service rendered by Mother, for saving Potter’s life...

_Celebrate having survived,_ read Neville’s letter that Winky had deliveded this morning, _even if you’ve lost your friend and it feels like it’ll be a long time before you can celebrate again._

_We hereby inform you that the hearing will take place on August 20th,_ said the _other_ letter that had arrived minutes after Winky had left. The fact that the hearing concerned everyone’s past actions at Hogwarts and not his own status as a Death Eater _per se_ was irrelevant. 

He needed to protect himself, his parents, the unconscious man in the guest room upstairs, Greg and the others if he could. Should events prove that Potter’s word was not enough...

Draco had to go through every law-related book in the house and had _no_ idea how to start. 

 

**June 5th, 2008**

He awoke slowly. The sun was just about to wander onto his face, he could tell from the light even without opening his eyes. Draco let himself sink against the warm body at his back. A small shift of his shoulder – there, that was Neville’s arm tucked around him more tightly. 

The last day of school had been yesterday. Thursday or no Thursday, sun or no morning sun, there was no reason to leave this bed any time soon. At least – 

For a moment, he lay absolutely still and simply _listened_ , but no, it seemed that no owls had arrived at their window just yet.

He felt Neville starting to stir and resolved to give it a few more heartbeats before he’d start curling into him a mite more deliberately. Yes.

He really hoped that Daphne had been successful after leaving Hogwarts right after Tuesday's feast. It would _not do_ , having to spend a day that was about to start _this_ marvellously bailing Theodore out of Azkaban.

 

.


End file.
